Someone Special
by Gerald Tarrant and Quicksilver
Summary: Duo Maxwell enters a new school after the war- Cliffside Heights. This story is told from the POV of one of the students there.


Sainan no Kekka: Someone Special

_Gundam Wing is property of Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asahi. Sainan no Kekka and all original characters and plot copyright 2000 by Quicksilver and Gerald Tarrant. Please ask permission before reposting._

  
**SHIN KIDOU SENKI GUNDAM WING**

SAINAN NO KEKKA  
Someone Special: Helena 

_"Getting to know you  
Getting to know all about you."  
--The King and I, Getting to Know You_

  
Helena Rosenberg sat in the waiting area to the Principal's office, cooling her heels. It wasn't unusual for her to find herself here; as class representative for the third section of the junior year, she would often be called in on some business or other. Unfortunately, even though she was required to appear promptly, Mr. Monition would sometimes keep her waiting for over an hour. She guessed it was the privilege of authority.

To pass the time, she opened her chemistry textbook and started to study carbon bonding. She was a star student, and at Cliffside Heights, that was saying something. She worked hard to maintain her grades, and she was determined that she graduate valedictorian. Right now she was less then a hundredth percentile off the class leader, and she needed every opportunity she could find to make that up.

Still, Helena didn't want to forget to enjoy her valuable youth. Many of the students at Cliffside were former soldiers in the war, the relics of their organizations paying their way in hopes to re-integrate them into society. Helena had seen the shadows the war had left on them. Some of them were even younger then she was, and she thanked her lucky stars that few organizations had been interested in recruited women. She might have been dumb enough to actually sign up, and the price was too high.

Ms. Carrel, the administrative assistant, finally indicated that the principal was free. Helena rose to her feet and entered, wondering what was going on this time.

To her surprise, there was another boy in the room. Helena could have sworn she knew everyone on campus, but the boy who rose to greet her with a sunny smile was a new face to her. He was wearing the blue-on-blue uniform of the school, which meant he was a student, but she couldn't place him.

"Helena, I'd like you to meet Duo Maxwell, our newest student," Mr. Monition said, smiling at her. "Duo, this is Helena Rosenberg."

"Nice ta meet ya," Duo said, offering her a hand.

She shook it, blinking to hide her confusion. Cliffside Heights hardly ever accepted students halfway through the semester. Duo must have connections with a lot of pull, or a lot of money. There was no other explanation. "Likewise," she said, turning her puzzled blue eyes to the principal.

"I know its highly irregular for new students to enter mid-semester, but Duo was unable to arrive until now. I wanted to ask you to show him around campus. He'll be rooming with your boyfriend Christopher Johnsen, and all of his classes happen to be with you."

Again, she was surprised. She was enrolled in the most difficult classes the school had to offer, and if Duo was in all of them, that meant he was smart. Not just intelligent, but brilliant. Only the top ten percent were able to take one of Cliffside's accelerated courses, and less then one percent were in all of them.

She took a moment to study him, feeling even more thrown off balance. Duo was one of the most beautiful boys she had ever seen, and she'd seen plenty in her day. He had piercing violet blue eyes that a girl could drown in, and his face was evenly balanced. His body had the lithe build of a swimmer, but his crowning glory was his hair. Worn in a loose braid, the chestnut brown wave cascaded to his hips. "Has he moved into his room yet?" she asked.

"No. I want you to introduce him to Christopher first," Mr. Monition said. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it here, Duo. If you have any problems, feel free to bring them to me." With that, he pulled out a stack of papers and started to read, the session at an obvious end.

Helena signaled for Duo to follow her. He gave her a charismatic smile and followed her into the waiting room. "Chris is in class right now, so I'll have to wait to introduce you," she said. "Did you receive a key? I can help you move your stuff into the room."

Duo held out a key. "I don't have much to move," he said. "Most of my uniforms are still on order, and I don't keep much in the way of personal possessions."

"We'll take what you have, then," she said.

Duo sighed, then walked over to Ms. Carrel. "Oi, can I have my bags?" he asked politely.

She smiled at him and reached down behind his desk, producing a duffel and a computer case. "Here you go, Mr. Maxwell," she said in a light voice.

"Please, call me Duo. I don't like pretty ladies to be so formal with me," he said, winking flirtatiously at her.

Helena barely kept her jaw from dropping. Ms. Carrel was forty if she was a day, and she had a face like a horse. She had never been a "pretty lady". Still, the secretary blushed and giggled like a school girl. "Away with you, you rascal!"

He bowed formally. "As my lady wishes, but you send me away with a broken heart," he said, melodramatically clutching his heart. He took the bags and headed out of the room.

_Should someone warn the student population?_ Helena wondered, amazed at how thoroughly Duo had charmed Ms. Carrel.

Duo interrupted that chain of thought before she could expand on it. "So we're off to the room?" he asked.

"Yes. Is that all you have?" she asked, still missing her equilibrium. Duo Maxwell kept tilting her world sideways, and she had the feeling that the next few weeks were going to be very interesting.

"I travel light!" he said.

She frowned at him. "This way," she said, indicating the way by jerking a finger. "I'm sorry, but I can't place your accent."

Duo cocked his head in her direction, smiling sleepily. She wondered if he ever stopped smiling. "I've lived just about everywhere. I guess you can say I'm a vagabond."

"Really."

"Yup. I also speak a couple of different languages, so I guess I lost my original accent," he said.

"Which was?"

"I couldn't really tell you," he said with a laugh. "I'm pretty sure that English was my first language, though."

They walked together until they stood before an enormous five-story building. Duo let out a low whistle. "Impressive," he said.

"You're on the fifth floor- I hope you like stairs, since the elevators are usually busy. It's easier to just use those."

"No problem," Duo said. "It'll help me work off some of my energy," he said. He let Helena precede him to the room, then unlocked it. He blinked in surprise. "Whoa! This is a BIG room!"

Helena smiled. "Cliffside Heights used to be a hotel. The Dorm is the old buildings- aren't the rooms great? And you have a wonderful view," she finished.

Duo threw his bag onto the vacant side of the room and headed for the windows. Throwing the thick drapes aside, she heard him let out a hissing breath. "It's so beautiful," he said.

Helena looked at newest student, and walked over to look out with him. The water looked almost green. "It looks angry, doesn't it?" she murmured.

"It looks powerful," he said. "Comforting."

"Really? It scares me," she confessed.

Duo smiled and brushed his bangs from his eyes. "That's why I like it. It's nice to know that nature is stronger then anything else."

He turned away, and started to go through his bags, hanging up clothes and spreading out his stuff on the vacant side of the room. He took particular care with a small picture frame which he set on his nightstand.

Helena looked at it. It was a picture of Duo and a girl. He had his arms wrapped around her waist and was looking down on her with affection, and the girl was smiling back up at him, the wind lifting her short blue hair. It was a wonderful candid shot, and Helena smiled at it. "Your girlfriend?"

Duo's eyes grew shadowed. "I don't know. With Hilde, it's a mess," he said.

She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but at that moment, Chris swung into the room and tossed his books onto his desk. Chris walked over to Helena and brushed a kissed against her cheek before turning placid green eyes on Duo. "Who are you?" he asked calmly.

Helena bit her lip to keep from giggling. She hated how she sounded when she giggled. Chris was the only person she knew who would keep his cool when confronted by a stranger in his bedroom with his girlfriend.

"Duo Maxwell," the other boy introduced himself. "I'm your new roomie."

Chris' eyebrow rose a minute degree. "Chris Johnsen," he replied, holding out his hand.

Duo pumped it with calm assurance, then gave another of his patented smiles. "Nice to meet you," he said politely enough. "Oi, do you think you can show me where the cafeteria is? The problem with traveling is you throw your whole internal clock off."

Helena glanced at her watch, surprised to see it was four. "It's late enough that we can grab an early dinner," she said easily. "I usually eat with my roommate - I'll go get her and we can go."

"Sure," Duo said, and she could have sworn she saw him bounce slightly as he headed over to his bed. "Chris and I can talk while you're gone."

"Actually," Helena said, "why don't you come with me? It's a shorter time to the dining hall that way. And you and Chris can get to know each other on the way there, ne?"

It took ten minutes to track down Ilene, but her reaction to Duo was more then worth it.

Ilene Keets was a smart girl, but towards the lower end of the class. Still, she was popular, and most people would have named her their friend. Ilene spent a lot of time in the music room playing piano, though she was only mediocre.

The imprecise Mozart that came out of the third practice room alerted the trio to her presence. "Ilene!" Helena called, smiling at her roommate and best friend.

The petite girl was perched on the end of the stood, like a bird ready to take flight. Her eyes were shut, which probably accounted for the mistakes she had been making. "Hi!" Ilene said sleepily, opening her eyes slowly. Then she saw Duo, and all the blood in her body must have rushed to her face to produce a blush redder then a rose.

Helena had always heard about love at first sight, but hadn't believed in it until she saw the way Ilene looked at the new student.

"Hi- who are you?" Ilene asked eagerly.

Duo smiled and offered his hand. "Duo Maxwell, and you must be Ilene."

She took his hand eagerly, perhaps holding onto it a touch too long. "I haven't seen you here before."

Duo smiled. "I'm new."

"Really? Do you need someone to show you around? Because I can, if you want."

"I was assigned to do that," Helena said. "But we're all going for dinner now, since Duo hasn't eaten in a while- you ready?"

"I've been ready all my life," Ilene whispered so softly that only Helena could hear. "I've been waiting for someone like him." 

[Back to Act 2, Part 1.3][1] | [Back to Sainan no Kekka][2]

   [1]: act2-1.html#2.3
   [2]: /gundam/sainan/



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